I feel terrible. I sent the lockbox code via text before I jumped on a plane and it did not go through! Mu guests waited about 45 minutes before I realized they could not get into the house. How would you suggest I make this right by the guest? I haven’t had this experience before. They are super frustrated, understandably. Would anyone be kind enough to share
Some small refund may be appropriate. Maybe 10-20% off the first night.
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When we had an issue at our house I gave the guest a gift card to a local family owned sandwich shop along with a nice note . It was less than one night’s profit. He was delighted and we got a great review.
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A bottle of wine with a note saying sorry for the inconvenience and “please let me know if you need help with anything during your trip.”
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If you are not there for checkin, you need a backup. What if the lock doesn’t work?
I have a smart lock. There are instructions to contact me via Ring video doorbell. But also a phone number to call. If you not available, someone else should be
Definitely definitely definitely. Someone in our tiny complex does STR remotely. (They only live 5 miles away but can’t be arsed to do the job properly). Nine times out of ten their guests have a hard time getting in. Sometimes they manage it after several tries, sometimes they are talked through it on the phone and on some occasions the owner has had to drive over here (gasp) to do it for them. This is not the first impression that a host wants to give.
A gift card is the system I use if guests are inconvenienced in any way and say ‘have dinner on us’. However, I use a chain of restaurants that have branches in other places as well as this. Sometimes for more minor inconveniences, I use a Starbucks card. This way, the guests can use it whilst they’re here or when they get home or further along on their travels or even give it as a gift themselves.
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All good advice but I prefer cash. My dog boarding clients frequently give me various items as gifts, often from their travels. I’ve also been given gift cards by guests. I appreciate the sentiment but don’t want or need more geegaws in my home. Unless it’s an Amazon gift card I can enter into my account and forget it, they are just a pain to keep track of and use. And not everyone likes wine, coffee or chain restaurants. Everyone likes $$ and can use it easily.
Thoughtful gifts are for people who know you well enough to think about what to give you. Cash is for business relationships. I’d refund via the system with a message so then it’s also on record on the platform that you acknowledged the mistake and offered some compensation. Then if they complain to Airbnb or give you an unfair review you have that info on your record.
Just my 2 cents…I’ll send it to you on a gift card. 
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Wine might not be a good idea. I would estimate when I leave out a bottle of wine, half the guests say they do not drink.
I had one French guy stay with his wife who objected that the bottle of wine I left was American, not French.
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You give chocolates and they are diabetic, you leave food and they have intolerances, and so on and so on.
It’s the gesture more than anything and if someone complains, they’re hard to please anyway.
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This is why gift vouchers make sense 
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I agree with Jaquo.
Four guests checking in with us this month, have said they do not drink and have asked me to remove two (in one instance with four guests, the 8 oz bottles of wine from the apartment.
When I was setting up my ad on AirBnB several people advised me not to run a photo with the ad that showed a bottle of wine. Advised a pitcher of water with lemons.
Restaurant or coffee shop coupons are ideal.
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Ideal is really not the right word. I respect that people are going to disagree with me but I assure you that a Starbucks card is an unwelcome pain in the @$$ for me. And please don’t give me a (barf) Applebees or Chili’s card. $20 back on my credit card is ideal.
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That ($20 refund) would work well. We are a small town (5,000), nearest Starbucks is 35 miles.
Yesterday my internet went down and I texted the current guests my apologies along with a promise of a small refund for each day it was out. It came back on within a couple of hours. But meanwhile they texted back that it was understandable and no refund was needed. It’s a couple and I know the woman here from Germany depends on wi-fi as she has no or limited phone service. I don’t know how I keep attracting these kinds of guests.
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